Europe Map – Geography, History, Travel Tips and Fun

Click on the Europe Map above to get a larger more detailed view

Map of Europe and information about the continent

We have added a map that is probably our best and largest Europe Map. On Map of Europe we have termed our political map and although strictly it does not contain everything a political map should have it is close enough and is much easier to read than your standard Political map.

Europe is the sixth largest continent by land mass (approximately 3,997,929 square miles or 10,354,636 square km). Only one continent is smaller and that is Australia. The population is about 739,300,000 individuals, which makes it the world’s third most populated and it boasts some of the oldest civilizations of any continent.

Travelling Europe is one of life’s pleasures and due to the above mentioned civilization age, it boasts one of the oldest tourism industries also. Being so long established Europe caters well for every type of traveller.

Europe is made up of 20 countries. The smallest is Vatican City, which is virtually only a suburb of Rome. The largest country is Russia, although if we are talking about Western Europe, then that would be France.

So if you are travelling a good map of Europe is necessary. We do live in a time of smart phones that have GPS functions but it is still a good idea to have a paper map of Europe as a backup. They fold up to be quite small, so every backpacker should have on one in her or his backpack. If you find yourself outside of signal range or if the battery in your GPS or phone empties, you still have a way of knowing where you are.

The diversity of cultures in Europe is one of the key reasons it is such a popular tourist destination. If you are looking for lazy summer beaches then Croatia, Greece, Spain and France are just some of the best hot spots for that type of travel. If Skiing is your thing then you might want to get out the maps of Switzerland, Austria, Germany, France and Slovenia. These countries have some of the best skiing in the world and some places you can ski all the year round. A good way to get to these ski fields is to travel by train as the train system in Europe is so good it is hardly affected by snow. buying a Eurail pass is the best way to go and here is a rail map of Europe to show you all the routes and destinations. We have also included a massive Eurail Map.

When looking at a topographic map of Europe you will notice that it is very mountainous and much of the wilder places are covered in arboreal forests. So if hiking is your thing then Europe is only quite willing to cater to your needs.

Some of the oceans and Seas that border the continent are as follows. The Barents Sea, Arctic Ocean and Norwegian Sea are to the north. The North Sea and Baltic Sea’s are more or less in the middle of the map. The Atlantic Ocean and the Greenland and Celtic Sea’s are off to the west of the continent. The Mediterranean, Adriatic and Aegean Sea’s lie to the south. The Black and Caspian Sea’s lie more or less to the east. Other naturally occurring borders are Ural Mountains and the Ural River and the Caucus Region (a group of countries, the best known of which are Armenia and Georgia).

Some Political information about Europe

There are about 50 countries that make up the continent of Europe. The largest being Russia and the smallest being Vatican City. Most countries in Europe belong to the European Union and use the Euro as currency. Click on the links below to learn more about each country.

Other physical features of the continent of Europe

The main rivers are the Danube, Rhine, Volga, Seine, Ural and Loire. The longest being the Danube. The main mountain ranges are The Alps, Pyrenees, Ural, Caucus and the Carpathian mountains. The highest mountain in Europe is situated in Russia and is called Mt Elbrus, it is 5642 meters high although the highest in Western Europe is Mt Blanc which is situated in France.